Rotbtd Shorts
by Corona Frost
Summary: Just some Ideas and One-shots
1. When Others Pay

My shoes clicked against the wooden stairs as I descended to the ground floor. But I guess I was used to that. After all, I had lived here for the first thirteen, miserable years of my life.

Jack was waiting at the bottom. He had been searching the ground floor. His face was unusually grim, and he was running his hand through his light brown hair.

'Only the basement to go.' He said stoutly.

He didn't have to say even that much.

We had both known from the time that we got the letter that she would be in the basement. But we had held on to the hope that she wasn't.

After all, we ourselves had named the basement the room of terrors.

As children, we had never gone close to even the door, for fear of hearing the terrible screams that would haunt us. We feared that room more than everything. Everything but our father, that is.

As young teens, we had often threatened to dare each other down there. One day, we decided to go down together. We never forgot what we saw.

The night after we came running out of the room, terrified, we ran away.

We hadn't known where we were going, so long as we were going away. We didn't know how to get there, but we knew that we were going to get there.

Five years. Five years alone, fighting fear, trying to rid ourselves of painful memories. Never talking to anyone. We only knew that we had to keep breathing, and we never gave up.

They entered our lives when we were eighteen years old. Merida, the older one, was seventeen. Rapunzel, the younger, was only sixteen.

They shot like beams of sunlight through our dark world, tearing down the walls that hid us from everyone else. Under their beautiful sunlight, we learn how to love. The flowers of the purest form of love budded in our world. Rivers of joy cut through dark mountains of fear. The greenest grass of friendship grew on our fields, overcoming the dark memories.

Our lives became a peaceful bliss. The four of us blended together. One person's good qualities cancelled out another person's bad ones. And that made us perfect.

Standing in that house, at the end of the stairs, we both knew that this meant going back. This was the end of the road.

We sat quietly in the house, trying to gather the courage to enter the room.

Finally, we stood in front of the door. Jack opened it. I followed him inside. As I closed the door behind me, I could feel that it was wet.

I held my hand to my face. _Blood._

We walked in silence. Our feet did not make the same sounds as it did on the other staircase.

As soon as we reached the bottom, my vision was filled with memories. I could hear the screams of men and women who had fallen to our father's betrayed.

I could hear my father's voice in my head, 'Be like me, and they will fear you' he had said. But neither me nor Jack had been like him. But we wouldn't pay for it. We just had to wait and see who would.

There was a large pool of liquid on the stone floor of the room. Dim light flitted through the small windows, creating deep shadows. The pool reflected our faces as we looked into it. One of them had paid.

Jack walked into the shadow, disappearing from my sight. I stood for a while, then followed him. My foot stepped on something slippery. I had stepped on it too many time to not know what it was.

'Jack, we should go.' I whispered, for it seemed unsacred to the people who had died here to speak louder.

'I need to see her.' I sighed. He knew.

Pulling my hair out of my face, I followed him deeper into the shadows.

Right at the wall, curled up tight, was a lithe figure. Trailing from her head was a lot of hair.

She lay on her side, and we could tell who it was at once because of the thin, smooth curves that did not belong to anyone else in the world.

Jack knelt beside her. I could see tears drip from his eyes. In the shadows, they looked black.

He took her onto his lap, holding her head there. Slowly, his hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief.

It was made of purple silk, and reflected light as her held it up. It was edged with gold velvet and had a red heart embroidered on it. Rapunzel had given it to him on our nineteenth birthday. The day that Merida had given me her heart.

I herd Jack sob as he lifted the cloth to wipe away the blood on her face. As the fabric touched her, her eyes opened just a crack. I was like magic.

'Jack.' She whispered bloody lips, 'I knew you would come.' Jack leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips.

'I had to say goodbye' He sobbed, holding her tight.

Rapunzel lifted her head a little, 'Jack?' She murmured, her voice hoarse, 'I love you.' I saw her hand move as she tried to find the strength to hold him.

He took her slim hand in his, ' I love you, too' Then he kissed again her gently. Her hand fell limp.

'She's gone.' He said. I stared at her figure, laying astraddle across his lap.

'I'm sorry, Jack.' Was all I could think of to say.

'It's okay,' He replied, 'I got to see her before the end and tell her what I always wanted to. And that's all that matters.' He took a deep breath and picked her up in his arms.

Jack had left her on the sofa. I didn't even have to promise that we would come back for her because we both knew that we would. We walked along the muddy road, both lost in our own thoughts.

Suddenly, Jack stopped. He was staring at the ground.

In between the tips of his toes stood a flower like one I had never seen before. It was purple, a light lilac, with a soft look. On the tip of each petal was a golden edge. And the leaves and stem had a weird green colour, like a perfect emerald.

We both knelt down beside it. Gently, I sunk my right hand into the earth, pulling it out with the roots. With my left hand, I pulled a pouch from my pocket. Shakingout the gold coins, I placed the plant in it.

I handed it to Jack, telling him quietly that there was enough water in the mud for the small blossom to last at least two days.

He smiled at me.

As we walked on, I wondered where we would find Merida, and what condition she would be in.


	2. The Bet

When all else fails, scream- Anon

We stood in front of the computer, breath held. We were almost at the moment. I used one hand to firmly pull my hair out of my face, holding it above my head for the big reveal.

On the screen was a girl with black hair and candy stuck in it. I always wondered how they got actors to do that sort of thing. Jack paused it, grinning at me.

'Sure you don't wanna change your bet?' He asked, grinning ear-to-ear, as if he knew he was going to win.

I shook my head. I knew he was going to lose miserably. I felt like a cheater nonetheless, Hiccup would have my head if he knew that I had cheated. Jack and I had a friendly bet on this new movie that came out. I bet that Vanellope would become the princess and Jack bet that she would become president.

I felt like a cheater because I had seen a gif where Vanellope turns into a princess with a pink dress. It's soooo cute. I really don't know where Jack got his information, but I knew he was wrong.

The best part was that I could ask for anything I liked because we had left the 'wages' undecided. I only bet on that kind of bet when I was absolutely sure of myself. Like I was now.

Ten minutes later, I was sitting on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

'You watched the movie before, didn't you?' I asked, my eyes swivelling to meet the blue eyes hanging over me. Underneath those eyes was a big smile. I moaned, flipping over, 'you little cheater,' I mumbled, frustrated that I had lost the bet. I also was annoyed because Jack had decided to 'wait till he found the proper wage'. But his eyes told a different story.

Jack had known that he was going to win. He knew just what he wanted; he was just keeping me in suspense because he knew it annoyed me.

'Come on, Merida. We both know that you cheated. You're just too stuck up to admit it.' I moaned again because there was nothing I could say to that.

'What do you want, Jack?' I flipped onto my stomach, running my fingers through the furry rug on the floor. I looked up at him.

He took a deep breath and I realized that he wanted me to do something embarrassing from the pinkish ting on his cheeks. I moaned, bracing myself for the blow.

'Iwan'youtagointoHiccup'sroomandkisshim,' He said quickly, slurring the words together blurrily.

'What?' I said, assuming that I had heard him wrong and that he had said something entirely different. Hoping I had heard him wrong. I felt my face getting very warm.

'I… erm… want you to…ah…go into Hiccup's room…and…you know…' He trailed off, mashing his knuckles together.

Silence. You couldn't blame us for that. Jack had always been amazed by how Hiccup and I kept away from each other for the many years that we had been friends. But this was quite unexpected. This was also about the first time that Jack had one this kind of bet.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, 'Jack, you know this isn't fair,' I whispered, knowing full well that I had agreed to do anything if I lost. _What have I gotten myself into? _Was my only thought.

'Merida, you know it's fair, it's what we agreed. You cheated and thought you were going to win. I cheated and I won. Our cheating cancels each other out. You lost the bet and have to do anything I tell you to. Anyway, it's not _that_ unreasonable.'

I gaped at him, _not that unreasonable? What is he thinking?_ 'Jack! It's so unreasonable that you can't bring yourself to even say it!' I whispered, not wanting Hiccup to know what we were up to.

'Go on,' He hissed, pushing me to the door, 'or are you too scared?'

I could never stand being called a scaredy-cat, especially by Jack. But I didn't want to do it. After all, Hiccup and I never talk about things like this. My head swarmed with a million ways that I could possibly get out of this. But one thing was for sure.

I might be a cheater and scared of admitting the truth, but I was not untrustworthy. I would never go back on my word. But this was asking too much.

I closed my eyes and walked to the door, pressing my ear to it, wondering what he was doing. At first, I couldn't hear anything. Then Hiccup grunted.

'Leave me alone, you little skunk, I don't have time right now.' There was a pause. I was shocked, I hadn't even knocked! And it wasn't like him to call me a skunk. I was about to enter when he spoke again.

'I know you're bored, but I'm trying to do something very important.' Another pause. 'Don't give me that face! You know that I love more than almost anything in the world. Yes, almost, unfortunately for you, there are more important things in life than you.' Another awkward silence. I could feel my heart in my ears. I turned to Jack.

By now, Jack had his ear at the door too, and was looking thoroughly shocked.

'Fine! I'll come back to this later. Yes, I know you want a kiss, you slimy sea turtle. I know you do.' I heard him making fake smooching sounds. I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. 'You know what? I think you are almost the most beautiful thing on the planet.' I heard a pause and what sounded like the ripping of fabric. Like someone had run a knife through fabric four times. 'Hey! What do you think you're…? Stop it, you fiend! That's not even funny! In fact you can…' He sighed gently, 'I can't stay mad at you.' I heard the bed creak softly as he sat down. I creaked again. He was lying down.

I felt my eyes getting warm as I thought of what was going on in there. My throat constricted so much that I could hardly breathe. I wondered who she was. Suddenly, I realized that I was more in love with Hiccup than I ever cared to admit. I looked at Jack, who had sat down, looking quite blank.

Then Hiccup was talking again. 'I love you.' He whispered, and then he paused and sighed deeply 'It doesn't work that way, does it? I can easily admit that I want it to… That's right' His voice suddenly became goofy, like he was talking to a baby, the voice that he used when he was fooling around with me and Jack. 'I admit it! I wish that did work.'

There was a pause in which I wondered what he was talking about. Then the bed squeaked, Hiccup had flipped over. When he spoke next, his voice had a slightly choked quality. 'You know what I really wish? I wish I had just said it when I was young and didn't realize the delicacy of the whole situation. Now all I have for lovey-dovey talk is you.'

I couldn't take for another second, one more word out of his stupid mouth and I would start crying. I burst into the room. Hiccup was lying on the bed, on his back. His nose was pressed against hers and his hands held her waist above his chest. His cat's, that is.

I stared at him, my eyes scanning the room for any signs that someone was hiding. What I did see was an 'M' scratched into the sheet covering his well-made bed.

Hiccup his cat aside, standing, staring at me like I had just walked into his room at the worst possible moment. Apparently, I had. Then I saw something shiny under his bed cover. I could see it through the tears in the fabric that I realized were made by his cat.

I immediately grabbed the cover, yanking it off. Hiccup made a funny little squeak noise as I revealed a small glass picture frame that had been hidden by the sheet. A picture… of me. I found myself staring into my own opaque blue eyes. The flaming red hair seemed to be brighter than I remembered, then again, I barely looked in the mirror anymore.

I looked up, meeting Hiccup's green eyes. He gulped. I gaped. I suddenly realized how tall he was when he stood perfectly straight. I glanced back at the picture. Then things started to fall into place.

He hadn't been talking to his cat the whole time. He had been trying to talk to my picture. I looked up at him again, my mouth wide open. His face was burning as if it was trying to melt the invisible ice that held in frozen in place.

I felt myself observing the details. Hiccup wasn't the boy that I thought of him as. He had an Adam's apple that was bobbed up and down when he was nervous. His hair was slightly tousled from rolling around with the cat. He had the most intense green eyes that I had ever seen. I averted my eyes to keep myself from inspecting every detail about him.

I heard him take a deep breath. 'Merida?' he croaked, and it was obvious enough that he had meant to sound a little louder and more confident. I decided not to try out my own voice and replied with a 'hmm?'

'Are you…' he cleared his throat, 'okay?' I looked up at him and nodded slowly, suddenly feeling quite odd.

'You're not talking,' He said, his voice getting a little squeaky, 'Do you want a glass of water or… something?' he gulped. He looked so cute with his eyes wide open, staring at me with the little-kid-caught look.

I sat down on the bed, trying to take it all in. I picked up the picture of myself. I could see Hiccup's hand flinch as I did. I smiled at him gently, and looked down at the picture. I wondered how old it was. I picked it up, flipping it over in one swift move and popping the back off. I saw him flinch again and make another funny squeak noise. Without looking up, I patted the space next to me, gesturing for him to sit down next to me. He didn't budge.

The picture didn't have the writing that I had hoped to see telling me the date. I sighed, standing again. I glanced at him. He looked like he was trying to say something. I raised my eyebrows. He cleared his throat, and took a deep breath, like he did when he was going to launch into a speech.

'Merida, I'm sorry.' He said it in his usual, clear voice. I waited… 'That's it' he mumbled, lapsing back into the unusual awkwardness. I felt a prick of ice on my back and suddenly realize what I was doing here. I stared at him until I realized that I was making him more nervous.

As soon as my vision removed its focus from Hiccup's stuttering figure, I saw a figure behind him. Hanging over the window, hoodie over his head, was Jack, in front of him, written in ice were two words: Kiss Already! I felt my face go red at the words that I had screamed when I first found out about Jack's girlfriend.

Then the words were replaced with 'go on'. I closed my eyes.

'Merida?' Hiccup asked, sounding concerned.

'Hmmm?' I opened my eyes. I blinked.

Everything around Hiccup was fuzzing up. I blinked several times, trying to clear my head. I felt my heart pounding. I felt my chest heave as I tried to stop it. I wondered what was happened.

I shut my eyes, trying to shut out the world and my own feelings. _It's time to give in_. It was time to give in. _cliché. What is wrong with me?_

I took a deep breath and took one step forward. He took one back. I smiled. And the game continued.

Until he hit the wall

His hands searched the smooth wall for some form of an escape. I slipped my arms around his neck.

One hand still searched the wall, but I could feel the other one around my waist.

**What is going to happen? Will Jack interrupt? Will Hiccup give up? Will Merida decide that she didn't want this and pull away? I don't know either…**


End file.
